Tag: gluten intolerance

Happy New Year to all of my readers! Last year was year one of my blog. While I didn’t get as many blogs written as I would have liked, I loved doing it. 2015 was a crazy year for me, and there were a lot of things I went thru that really made me evaluate who I was and what I am doing on a daily basis. I didn’t get any closer to my health goals; I got further away. I didn’t grow a huge Beachbody business; I quit. What I did do is get help for myself, and for my family.

Over the summer, I made the very hard decision to see a doctor and get help for what my brain was putting me thru; I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Admitting this to the world is not easy, and it has taken me months to be able to accept it myself. Nothing about this disease is fun, but I have learned to think about things differently, see the world differently, be less judgemental, and know when enough is enough for me.

Now that I’ve gotten my brain under control (most days), it’s time to get focused back on the other health goals. This year my goal is to not give up on myself. Last year, I became a badass, a blogger, a Beachbody coach, and went thru hell mentally, BUT I came out on the other side. This year I’m pushing it further. I WILL get to where I see myself, I WILL be comfortable with who I am (inside and out), and I WILL continue to raise my little girl to embrace who she is (a very strong little girl who is going to be something absolutely amazing and bring so much joy to so many people).

Step one to my health goals? Figure out what in the HELL is wrong with my digestive system… And D’s, too! Time to begin a “detox” of sorts… No, not for calories, but to eliminate what the author of Gutbliss, Dr. Robynne Chutkan, calls SAD GAS (Soy, Artificial Sweeteners, Dairy, Gluten, Alcohol, and [added] Sugars). I’m actually going to be consuming significantly more calories everyday with this more plant based diet (lean proteins only a few times a week), so I will likely be challenged to accept that eating more helps you weigh less. After reading Gutbliss in one sitting, I have a suspicion that I have either a gluten intolerance or even Celiac. Perhaps it’s nothing, but I will find out one way or another with this!

Eliminating things from our diets is not a foreign concept here with Mini Me’s allergies, but still requires prep work for two people. Dr. Chutkan asks those doing the 10 day plan to have green juice and her Magic smoothie every day, as well as a probiotic, and ground psyllium husk. I spent a large portion of my New Year’s day planning out the meals and snacks for D and I,
and a large portion of the second day of the year in the produce section with Mini Me and in the kitchen getting some of the things prepped here. This included the very basic task of making space in the fridge for the abundance amount of produce, to making things for the week. I made Homemade Energy Bars and Fruit, Seed, and Nut Trail Mix.

Homemade snacks may take just a few minutes longer than buying them already made, but I find comfort in knowing EXACTLY what is in my food.

Homemade Energy Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup cashews

1 1/3 cups pitted dates

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup dried fruit for topping, optional (I used coconut)

Directions:

Put all ingredients in food processor and process until it seems to be sticking together slightly in bowl of processor, about 5 minutes.

Pour mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and spread out. While still separated sprinkle optional dried fruit on top.

Using your hands, compress the mixture until it is a solid ‘blob’ on the sheet.

Put in fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes so it has a chance to solidify further.

Pull out, and slice into 6-8 even pieces.

That’s it. Seems like there are a lot of steps, but this really is one of the easiest recipes ever… Not to mention TASTY!